Helping the First Year Head Coach Avoid Costly Mistakes – Developing a Plan for Year One

By: Bob Grace - Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey

Most "new" head coaches were selected to their head coaching positions because they possessed a strong background in their sport, were good "teachers" both on and off the field or court, showed the potential for leadership and were loyal to the school and community. Unfortunately, all of the traits that helped them earn their new title may not be enough to ensure their future success in their new roles. There are quite a few other philosophical and organizational decisions that they will be faced with that must be mastered rather quickly in their tenure as head coach.

The following points describe many of the skills and items necessary for the "new" head coach to avoid costly mistakes and begin a productive coaching career.

• Develop a Vision for the Program - What will your program be known for? Have a clear vision of the role of academics in your program. Understand the role of behavior and discipline. Developing a mission statement for each individual sport leads coaches to evaluate their vision for their program.
• Keep the Administration in the Loop - Keep your Athletic Director and Principal aware of everything, good and bad, occurring in your program. Share every positive development related to your program and players with your Superintendent and the Board of Education.
• The Athletic Trainer has the Last Word on the Physical Welfare of your Athletes - Your Athletic Trainer has the last word on the treatment that your athletes receive. Consult with your Athletic Trainer every day about injured athletes and the treatment they are receiving.
• Coach Kids First - Coach your Sport Second - Coaches evolve from being sport-centered to becoming player-centered. Today's athletes recognize this and will be more apt to "Buy In" to the program when they realize their coaches put their welfare first. "It's not about the X's and O's, it's about the Jimmy's and Joe's"
• The Process is More Important than the Outcome - Putting the process ahead of the outcome is the formula for success for Nick Saban's Alabama Football teams. Always take care of the "Little Things" and the outcome will take care of itself.
• Have a Plan (for everything) - The Chemistry teacher doesn't walk into the classroom and "wing it"; the coach can't either. Every coach should have meaningful practice plans, game plans, 12 Month Plans, etc. They should have a plan for dealing with injuries, the media, parents, etc. Don't get caught off guard because of a failure to plan at any level.
• There will be 2-3 "Crisis" Situations Every Year - Be proactive! Expect to face crisis situations in your program. Whether they are minor or major face them with a positive attitude. Let the crisis of today be the opportunity for growth of your program in the future.
• Develop Strong Assistant Coaches - Challenge your Assistant Coaches to be the best in the Conference, League and State. Insist in professional improvement through coaching clinics, periodicals, and contact with college coaches, etc. Staff development is every bit as important as player development.
• Always Value Performance over Potential - Always evaluate your players on "what you see", not on "what you hope to see". We only value potential when we see it put into action.
• Plan Not to Lose Before you Plan to Win - Every sport has statistical situations arise that can almost definitely lead to defeat. Be it turnovers in Football, foul shooting in Basketball, or base running in Baseball, find those statistics that lead to defeat and develop a practice plan to turn them into positive skills that lead to victory. Good coaching is problem solving.
• Never give up on Young Kids - Every team has young players on their rosters who may not be physical or emotionally prepared to contribute to team success at this time. "Coach Up" these kids with the same level of enthusiasm as your first teamers. The true joy in coaching is watching that sophomore who seems to have no chance become a competitive senior who contributes to team success.
• Good Morale does not come from Winning - Good team morale does not come from winning. Good morale is the byproduct of individual improvement. When athletes feel that they are individually improving they collectively develop good team morale. Think about the Track athlete who just experienced a PR (personal record). There are winning teams that have bad morale.
• We Get Better or We Get Worse, We Never Stay the Same - Nothing in your program is static. Approach every practice with an "Improvement Mindset", because if you're not improving then your slipping backward; you never stay the same. Every minute of practice counts.
• The Pace of Practice - Make the pace of practice as fast as possible. "Coach in sentences, not in paragraphs". When you practice fast you learn to play fast when it counts.
• The Head Coach is Responsible for EVERYTHING - Perhaps the most important idea that a new Head Coach must understand; "You can designate Authority, but you can't designate Responsibility"
• Insist on Perfection in all Drills - Every drill must have a purpose. Drills should be selected as solutions to situational problems that arise in games. Insist on perfect execution and perfect effort when executing all drills.
• Develop a Positive Relationship with the Officials - Positive relationships with game officials lead to more of what we might assess as "Good calls". It is obvious that the coaches that are always whining get more "Bad calls". Only the Head Coach should be communicating with game officials.
• Develop a Family Atmosphere in your Program - Your spouse and family make tremendous sacrifices in order for you to coach. Try to include your family and the family of assistant coaches in the program whenever possible. Develop the "Family Atmosphere" within your program through activities outside the typical practice and game situation.
• Make Deposits in the 'Emotional Bank Account' of your Assistant Coaches - When you praise and recognize the hard work of your Assistant Coaches you are making an "Emotional Deposit" in the "Emotional Bank Account" you have with them. This is important because you may have to make an "Emotional Withdrawal" if they are not meeting their obligations to the program in the future. If you have made enough "Emotional Deposits" you can cover that "Emotional Withdrawal" and continue a solid relationship with them.

It is our duty as Athletic Directors to help our coaches develop in all phases of their programs. By assisting the 'new' Head Coach to make a seamless transition to his or her new role we are ensuring the success of our programs for the betterment of our athletes. We must not assume that a strong Assistant Coach will automatically become a strong Head Coach. The leadership that we exert in our role as Athletic Directors will pay many dividends in the future for our athletes, coaches and programs.